Various devices and structures for generating an array of thin, vertical, parallel, equidistant, light emitting lines behind a flat, transmissive, electronically controlled display panel, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), to generate for an observer a perception of three dimensional images are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,717,949, 4,829,365, 5,036,385, 5,040,878, and 5,457,574 and U.S. patent application No. 08/674,468. These-references describe various devices for generating an array of thin lightlines as the means for creating stereoscopic images.
There are many areas for improvement in the prior art. For instance, there continues to be a need for a simple means of forming and viewing stereoscopic images, which is less expensive to produce, and which can utilize combinations of previously developed elements. There is further a need for a display which can provide a system with the capability of switching back and forth from 2D to 3D images and a need for alternate methods of switching between 2D and 3D viewing. There is further a need for a display which can use standard backlighting resources while reducing the number of additional layers necessary to create 2D/3D images. There is further a need for the ability to move a 2D window within a 3D window and a 3D window within a 2D window. There is further a need for a display which eliminates ghost images which occur in 3D viewing. There is further a need for a display which reduces the visibility of moire patterns in 3D viewing and improves the appearance of 3D images when a viewer moves within a viewing area.